Congressman Juan Ciscomani Receives the 2024 Cooperative Champion Award
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 28, 2024
Benson, AZ – Congressman Juan Ciscomani has been named GCSECA’s 2024 Arizona Rural Electric Cooperative Champion in recognition for his many accomplishments and efforts to advocate on behalf of its Member-cooperatives and the communities they serve.
In 2022, Rep. Ciscomani was elected to represent Arizona’s 6th congressional district, becoming the first naturalized American citizen from Mexico elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in Arizona history. In 2024, Rep. Ciscomani was named the most bipartisan U.S. House of Representatives member from Arizona by the Lugar Center and McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University.
Rep. Ciscomani represents a district which includes the Cooperative territories for Duncan Valley Electric Cooperative (DVEC), Graham County Electric Cooperative (GCEC), Navopache Electric Cooperative (NEC), Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative (SSVEC), Trico Electric Cooperative (TEC), and Arizona G&T Cooperatives (AzGT), which owns and operates the Apache Generating Station. "We are pleased to recognize Congressman Ciscomani for his continued support of Arizona's rural electric co-ops across the district,” said Patrick Ledger, CEO of AzGT and chair of GCSECA's Legislative and Government Relations Committee. “The congressman has proven to be a critical Cooperative ally and has demonstrated tremendous concern for our rural members.”
“I am honored to be the recipient of the Co-op Champion award," said Rep. Ciscomani. "Arizona’s rural electric Cooperatives are the backbone and livelihood of the rural communities across my district. They provide critical services which enable rural Arizonans to live, learn, and achieve their American Dream.”
Earlier this year, the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee passed a package that included $26 million in projects for Southern Arizona. Some of the projects requested by Rep. Ciscomani and approved include:
- $2 million for the town of Pima volunteer fire station
- $1.3 million for the Graham County Gila River Linear Park and Trail Project
- $274,000 for the town of Duncan and Hunter Estates Drainage Mitigation and Design
- $3,792,927 for the City of Sierra Vista for the Buffalo Soldier Trail
- $859,000 for Northern Cochise County Community Hospital in Willcox.
About GCSECA: Grand Canyon State Electric Cooperative Association represents Arizona’s electric cooperatives at the local, state, regional and federal level, working with elected officials and stakeholders to Champion the interests of our Members and communities they serve.
2210 S Priest Drive, Tempe, AZ 85282 | P: 602.286.6925 | www.gcseca.coop | @gcseca